SAN DIEGO, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in the online games industry, today announced EverQuest(R) The Buried Sea(TM), a new expansion for the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), EverQuest. EverQuest The Buried Sea will only be available via digital download beginning February 13th, for the suggested retail price of U.S. $29.99.

"As the new producer on EverQuest I am very excited to have this tremendous opportunity to work on such a storied franchise, as well as be part of a development team that has delivered successful expansions time and time again over the past eight years for our many loyal EQ players," said Clint Worley, Producer, Sony Online Entertainment. "As the thirteenth expansion for EverQuest, The Buried Sea will continue to challenge players with two new worlds to explore, ship-to-ship combat on the open seas against swash-buckling pirates, and a variety of new missions created especially for this expansion."

"The success of EverQuest is both a tribute to our devoted player base and our very committed development team," said Christopher E. Sturr, Senior Global Brand Manager, Sony Online Entertainment. "EverQuest continues to deliver innovation, new features and challenging new content, which will be evident in The Buried Sea."

The Buried Sea will also feature the ability for guilds to create a unique Guild Banner from a large selection of symbols and colors. The banner becomes the mark of the guild and when enough guild members are in the same zone, the guild leaders or officers can plant the banner in the ground. Once the banner is placed, members of that guild are able to teleport directly to that banner. In addition to the banners, players will have the ability to acquire Energeian items, utilizing ancient Combine technology; they can gain access to a new inventory slot that can be fitted with an Energeian power source and armor that can tap into the energy held within.

About EverQuest The Buried Sea

Throngs of undead trample the earth both night and day as Norrath's sun withers. With each passing hour, the growing numbers of creatures of the night rising from crypts and graves seem part of a grand design to overwhelm the lands. Trouble also lurks deep beneath the Buried Sea off the coast of Odus in a city named Katta Castrum, which has remained undiscovered for millennia. It is a city built to sustain the beloved leader of the Combine Empire who was poisoned. Generations of Combine Loyalists have tried to cure and awaken him while they house threatened populations of Kedge, Shissar, and Sphinx. But in recent times, the artifact that powers and protects their city has weakened. Without it, the city will be crushed under the pressure of the sea. Only the most intrepid Norrathians have the power to save them.

EverQuest The Buried Sea Features:

* Ship-to-Ship Combat -- Cross the plank and fight for your life on the
open seas as you raid pirate vessels!

* Two Paths of Advancement -- Battle pirates on the open seas or dive
deep beneath the sea to Katta Castrum, lost stronghold of the Combine
Empire.

* New Missions -- Take your group through more than 60 challenging new
missions ranging from defending merchant vessels against marauding
pirates to uncovering the secrets behind the combine city and the
danger that threatens it!

* Guild Banners -- Design a guild emblem and display it with pride!
Upgrade your banner to grant your guild special abilities and plant it
on the field of battle so your fellow guild members can teleport
directly to it!

* Fellowships -- Get together with a group of your closest friends and
start your own fellowship! You can join in a common chat channel, gain
the ability to create a campfire that can help you in your adventures,
and get a token that will let you quickly travel to your other
fellowship members.

* Energeian Items -- Utilizing ancient Combine technology, gain access to
a new inventory slot that can be fitted with an Energeian power source
and armor that can tap into the energy held within! The armor gains
power based on the type of energy in the power source, so you can
quickly customize the effects of your armor by changing the power
source!

The EverQuest base game is required for this expansion. For more information on EverQuest The Buried Sea please visit: http://www.everquest.com/. Preorders begin on January 16th at http://www.everquest.com/